Feigen: ROX wont spend $, cuz they have it - will go after Nene, not 2nd tier players

To further illiustrate my point...

Kings, Raptors and Pacers all have a ton of cap room. I fully believe atleast one of them will offer Gasol the max (if not us).

If the Grizzlies match and they resign Battier to a modest 2 year 6 million dollar contract, they have total salary committed of ~70 million dollars to 12 players, which likely puts them as 2nd round play off team with a small luxury penalty. I think that is manageable for them.

But 2012 is a different story. With just 10 players on the roster, including OJ Mayos QO, (who knows maybe his contract ends up being 8 or 9) they will be 77 million, not including the other 2 million needed to meet the minimum roster requirements. Now you are looking at a pretty hefty luxury penalty.

Flash forward to 2013. We will assume neither Battier nor Mayo are on the team, you still have 68 million dollars committed to just 6 players!

2014, those same six guys will have 75 million dollars in guaranteed money.

I am just not sure the Grizzlies will sign up for the tens of millions of dollars of luxury tax payments over the next five years for a team that is not a sure fire contender.

 

IMHO - - amnesty = Biedrins as a Rocket. Not Nene. But, unless AB is reborn to two years ago it is at best another 'C', and I'm still looking for some balls, ping pong, that is because this Rox team will be ok, but no threat for a play-off run (more's the pity).

Of course there may be additional amnesty cuts that might add into the mix, but who knows when amnesty will even be granted to the '11-'12 season?

 

I agree that Biedrins (if he's amnesty cut) and the Rockets seem like a "perfect match", assuming you want the Rockets to shoot for the playoffs next season. He's no Nene, but at the minimum, he would be a very nice addition.

Also, xiki, now that the 2011(?)-12 season will no longer be 82 games, I think bubble playoff teams like the Rockets stand to gain the most. With enough talent to make the playoffs but not quite enough to get a top seed over an 82 game stretch, the Rockets could conceivably get a 4 or 5 seed!

Remember, the Knicks made the Finals in '99 as an 8 seed, although most experts agree that New York was MUCH better than that. In only 50 games, the Knicks didn't have enough time to overcome some earlier losses to get the, say, 3 seed they'd probably have gotten with another 32 games played. The converse holds true for teams like the Rockets. If they win a few games early, Houston may not have enough games to "blow it".

 

There are countless unknowns to how the season's start, season itself, and spring will look. However, problems with fast start begin with new staff. If ever a team required off-season continuity this team/this summer did but, alas, whenever Day 1 begins all new biz is out there.

 

Mayo will be dumped to be sure. But Battier will be there because Memphis fans love the guy. But those two guys aren't really important.

I think the key is that Memphis will dump Gay before Gasol. And they can certainly do so if they dump in for expirings and maybe a 1st rounder. So if you look at it that way, Gasol's chance of leaving is pretty slim.

 

He's only 28 and has 3 straight healthy seasons hovering around .60 FG%. It would be a no-brainer if he blocked more than 1 shot a game. If the price is right, why not? I think we could probably get into the second round with him.

Seeing that we'll probably need to draft a superstar and knowing the team we have now is middle-of-the-pack for the forseeable future, why not?

 

So the luxury tax, max contract length, etc. are staying the same as the last CBA? This lockout can't only be based on BRI.

 

Yup.

Same ole same ole.

Waiting for the genius to come up with something new. Could be he will be the basketball version of Billie Bean.

 

Gay looks like an amnesty 'pin-up' model IMHO. Also, the type of quality pick-up I hope DM the GM can make (but I would be shocked if RG would come here; LAC?).

 

It will be fun watching the quick-tic machinations once the lunacy ends (and the craziness begins).

 

Mama that man ain't going anywhere!

 

Could we get a center from these amnesty cuts? That would be freaking awesome...

 

Can't say I miss this fan base, lol.

 

Teams still have to pay out the amnesty cut player. It just doesn't count towards the cap. If teams are hurting for cash. I don't see why they amnesty cut a huge contract if they're not in the tax.

 

That has been my take for awhile. Nene is just a guy who helps the team get to playoffs. Until the 2012 superstar option is gone, ride out thabeet,hill,williams.

 

Too bad we can't sign Nene to the max then amnesty waive him next summer.